Vizient, Ochsner Host Networking Event to Connect Gulf Coast Minority Businesses with Large Employers

From left, Jean-Marc Villain, Ochsner Health system director of supplier inclusion & community engagement, Shaleta Dunn, Vizient vice president, supplier diversity and social investment impact and Régine Villain, chief supply chain & support services officer, Ochsner Health.

Irving, Texas, June 13, 2023 – Vizient, Inc. and Ochsner Health hosted a Gulf Coast Community Contracting Informational Meeting & Networking Reception June 13 in New Orleans. The event was attended by local, diverse suppliers and diverse business advocacy and certification organizations interested in learning how to engage in business opportunities with healthcare organizations and other large businesses in Louisiana and southern Mississippi. Vizient is the nation's largest healthcare performance improvement company, representing more than 60% of the nation's healthcare providers.

Through the Gulf South Community Contracting Program, Ochsner and other participating hospital systems and large businesses commit to purchasing from local, diverse suppliers with the aim of boosting the local economy to increase livable wages, health insurance and career paths. The program drives economic development and empowerment to increase socioeconomic status in local communities and positively impact health equity.

"Anchor institutions like hospitals and health systems often offer the biggest growth opportunities for local, diverse businesses if they are able to contract with them for supplies or services," said Shaleta Dunn, Vizient vice president, supplier diversity and social investment impact. "Through Community Contracting, Vizient works to connect businesses owned by historically marginalized groups with their local hospitals and other like-minded entities to promote job growth and economic development, which ultimately improves the overall health of the patient population."

Attendees were divided into two sessions. Large employers such as healthcare organizations and universities learned how their participation in Community Contracting can close the wealth and health gap in their communities. Suppliers and advocacy organizations, such as chambers of commerce, learned how their participation in the program would grow their businesses, leading to better community health outcomes. The event ended in a networking reception that brought the groups together.

"Ochsner continually seeks opportunities to support our patient population in becoming healthier in a more sustainable way," said Régine Villain, chief supply chain & support services officer, Ochsner Health. "We are committed to the health of the population we serve and are pleased to work with local, diverse suppliers to boost our community's socio-economic status."

The Vizient Community Contracting Program facilitates reinvestment in local economies, using the power of purchasing within healthcare systems to direct spend to local, diverse suppliers. Learn more about Vizient Community Contracting.

About Vizient, Inc.
Vizient, Inc., the nation's largest member-driven healthcare performance improvement company, serves more than 60% of the nation's acute care providers, which includes 97% of the nation's academic medical centers, and more than 25% of the non-acute care market. Vizient provides expertise, analytics and advisory services, as well as a contract portfolio that represents more than $130 billion in annual purchasing volume. Vizient's solutions and services improve the delivery of high-value care by aligning cost, quality and market performance. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Vizient has offices throughout the United States. Learn more at www.vizientinc.com.

About Ochsner Health
Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Celebrating more than 80 years of service, it leads nationally in cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, liver and kidney transplants and pediatrics, among other areas. Ochsner is consistently named both the top hospital and top children's hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The not-for-profit organization is inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through its Healthy State by 2030 initiative, a bold and collaborative plan to realize a healthier Louisiana. Its focus is on preventing diseases and providing patient-centered care that is accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner Health pioneers new treatments, deploys emerging technologies and performs groundbreaking research, including 4,000 patients enrolled in 685 clinical studies in 2022. It has more than 37,000 employees and over 4,700 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 46 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Gulf South; and its cutting-edge Connected Health digital medicine program is caring for patients beyond its walls. In 2022, Ochsner Health treated more than 1.4 million people from every state and 62 countries. As Louisiana's top healthcare educator of physicians, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit www.ochsner.org.